Cremes or buttercream icings contain substantial portions of fat and shortening and are usually whipped to incorporate air. These cremes are used to make sandwich cookies, as for example, the filling between two chocolate, vanilla-flavored, oatmeal, and lemon base cakes. Confectionery cremes can also be applied to cakes, sweet rolls, and pastries as toppings or fillings. The basic ingredients of icings are usually sugar, water and fat. However, for use in a sandwich cookie context or where the cake or roll is substantially dry, it is important that the creme be substantially water-free. Even one percent of water in the icing or creme can cause the water to leach into the base cake making the cookie soggy and soft.
Conventional creme icings tend to be very thick and viscous. This is because of the high level of higher melting fat required to keep the product stable at elevated storage temperatures and manufacturing conditions. In general, conventional icings become more fluid and less viscous as the temperature is raised; i.e. they melt. An icing which is fluid at room temperature and remains fluid or does not change its viscosity appreciably upon storage is desired for taste and texture in the mouth. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to prepare a storage-stable confectionery creme having improved viscosity benefit. This creme remains fluid and does not melt upon prolonged storage, even at normal storage temperatures.
Another object of this invention is to prepare a creme filling which provides a rapid mouthmelt and creamy or dairy flavor impression.
It is another object of this invention to provide a creme which has a good flavor delivery system, i.e. the creme rapidly melts in the mouth and disperses both the fat and the sugar flavor throughout the mouth.
It has been discovered according to this invention that excellent properties with respect to the firmness and melting of icings can be incorporated into this creme by using a specially compounded confectionery fat having specific melting properties and disordering temperatures. Moreover, it is highly preferred that the sugar particle size distribution be such that the average particle size is less than 30 microns, and the majority of the particles are less than 15 microns. The sugar along with the fat gives the structure to the creme.